Sadly my dad can't make it to Wembley due to ill health He has supported City since he was a lad and was a season ticket holder for many years and he obviously sparked my interest in the club Luckily enough he will have three children and eight grandchildren in attendance and will be watching on TV Just to get to the FA Cup final would probably fufill every other dream he ever had I think , it's such a big deal in his eyes , not winning it , just been involved in the final Some younger fans probably don't realise how important the FA Cup was in the past when it was one of the few televised games and the nation all watched
It was the only live televised game for a long time. Live football on television will eventually kill the game. Brian Clough warned of this 30 years ago.
I work in Sheffield and as soon as the Blades made it to the semi final half my staff booked the day off leaving me, the boss a day to wait to see if City progressed. As it happens I have a dog that has just had pups so would not have wanted to go. For me it is a massive day, even though I can't be at the game, but I will so take the pi** when, I am sure United loose. At least I pray so.
I'm stuck in Sweden COULD have made the journey, but somewhat stressed right now, moving to Norway in the end of the month. Gutted to miss it, but I'll follow in the way I can! Just wrote a pre-match article about the game, starting to stir up some nerves! COYH
It started in 1872 and is the oldest competition in the world. Sadly money had now meant that it has lost its prestige and importance. For well over a century it was THE competition and had a charisma/appeal that the League could never hope to match.
This sounds so similar to my Dad's and his Dad's (my Grandad of course) wishes. I know they spent so much time in the 1950s and 60s wandering from Hawthorn Avenue, down Anlaby Road to Boothferry Park discussing exactly this sort of thing. The FA Cup is from a time when football was a truly blue-collar working man's game. It's the one competition that the modern era hasn't messed with too much, (barring sponsorship I guess). I do hope your Dad gets to witness an FA Cup triumph for the mighty City! Just like your Dad did, mine also got me hooked on Hull City and no matter what happens I'm attached to the club for as long as I live myself. He cannot be with us in person tomorrow but in spirit he will be - just like all the other passed members of the Tiger Nation. To a great day tomorrow!
There is such a simple fix for the big teams. Add a Champions League place for the winners instead of it going to 4th. The big teams will want it more.
Just get rid of the Champions League and Europa League altogether! I've maintained for many a year that the ultimate European Competition would be a 512 team knockout competition. One legged, unseeded draws just like the FA Cup is now. Include the entire Premier League, half the Championship along with the whole of Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and some of their lower division equivalents etc. Add a few of the best representatives from the 'lesser' East European divisions to make it up to 512, (maybe 256 if 512 is too much). Drawn completely at random so that Chelsea v Barcelona in Round 1 is just as likely to be drawn as ZKJ Crzenjeva of Moldova v some equally unfathomable team of Belarus. As a footballing spectacle and fan's tournament it would be great. It will never happen though because it would make no money.
Two city fans watching in sunny Cork, business commitments prevented me from travelling this weekend. Hopefully will make the final if we get there, my mate however will be in sunny Tenerife.
2 City fans here in Lyon cheering them on down the pub.. When the draw came out I was hoping for City getting the saturday semi cos logistically would have been possible but in reality I'm off to India in 2 weeks and can't really afford the 300 euros that it would have cost.
There will be another 2 here in Brisbane, maybe i should say At least another two as i know there are quite a few more around the area. Our last game before we left Englands Green and Pleasant Lands was the Play off final, so today is giving a little tinge of what we are missing being out here. Still get excited watching on Tv though. Lets hope the cheers will wake the wife up round about 1.15am........ Ok i will settle for 1.20 then... Nice early morning game for us to watch, being 1.07am. Good job there is no work tomorrow as i have a week off. Safe journey to all that are travelling and best wishes and luck to Bruce and the boys...
Here in Lyon.. Sat the whole game side by side with a Blades fan, bought each other beers shared stories, he'd seen his first game in 1947 and was a retired South Yorkshire copper.. and we discussed Hillsborough - in his opinion the whole affair "should have been dealt with in 48 hours and it was down to one w**ker who refused to open the gates" Then I get happily drunk..
